The Deafblind DATA Act would require the U.S. Census Bureau to explore and, beginning in 2026, publish an annual public table describing people who are both deaf and blind. The bill directs the Census to assess the feasibility of creating a cross-referenced count by linking existing American Community Survey (ACS) data to identify individuals with combined hearing and vision loss, since the current census topics do not separately track this group. It also requires a feasibility report to Congress within 180 days of enactment. If feasible, the Census would publish an annual table on its website showing aggregated characteristics (without any personal identifiers) of respondents who answered “Yes” to being both deaf and blind, broken down by state and including sex, race, age, and economic indicators such as employment, education, earnings, and poverty. The act emphasizes privacy protections, ensuring no personally identifiable information is released. In short, the bill aims to create a centralized, publicly accessible snapshot of the deafblind population using cross-referenced census data, to improve understanding and policy-making, while protecting individual privacy.
Key Points
- 1Short title and purpose: The act is called the Deafblind DATA Act (Deafblind Disabled Americans Table Approximation Act) and seeks to improve national data on deafblind individuals.
- 2Findings: Congress recognizes that deafblindness involves both hearing and vision loss, creates development and service needs, and currently lacks a precise national count; estimates vary widely.
- 3Cross-referencing approach: The bill proposes cross-referencing existing ACS responses to identify people who report both deafness and blindness, since the current Census data do not separately track combined impairment.
- 4Feasibility reporting: Within 180 days of enactment, the Census must report on the feasibility of publishing the proposed table and expanding data collection on concurrent hearing and vision loss.
- 5Annual publication with protections: Starting in 2026, and each year thereafter, the Census would publish a state-by-state table on its public website summarizing individuals who answered Yes to being both deaf and blind, including demographic and economic characteristics, with a strict prohibition on publishing any personally identifiable information.